Portable sharpener

ABSTRACT

A sharpener to be held in one hand of an operative and comprising clamp members between which an article, arrowhead, knife, etc., having a cutting edge to be sharpened or resharpened, is secured and pivoted tool guide members extending transversely of the clamp members and each having an aperture therein in which one end of a sharpening instrument or tool, such as, a file, stone, etc., is received while the other end is held by the other hand of the operator and moved over the cutting edge to be sharpened or resharpened.

United States Patent 1191 Longbrake [4 June 25, 1974 PORTABLE SHARPENER 2,536,279 1/1951 Grube 51/218 F [76] Inventor: Howard Ray Longbrake, P.O. R.D. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2, Grafton, Ohio 44044 381,268 10/1932 Great Britain 269/3 Filed: 061. 24, 1972 Appl. No.2 299,926

Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 104,940, Jan. 8, 1971, Pat. No. 3,733,933.

US. Cl. 269/3, 51/221 BS, 76/88, 269/87.3

Int. Cl B21k 5/12 Field of Search 51/173, 221 R, 221 BS, 51/218 P; 29/76 A; 76/82, 82.2, 88; 269/1, 2, 3, 6, 87, 87.1, 87.2, 87.3, 321 CF References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1907 Rhoads 269/3 8/1928 Eaton 76/82.2 11/1931 DeArmy 76/82.2

Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Mark S. Bicks Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watts, Hoffman, Fisher & Heinke C0.

[57 ABSTRACT A sharpener to be held in one hand of an operative and comprising clamp members between which an article, arrowhead, knife, etc., having a cutting edge to be sharpened or resharpened, is secured and pivoted tool guide members extending transversely of the clamp members and each having an aperture therein in which one end of a sharpening instrument or tool, such as, a file, stone, etc., is received while the other end is held by the other hand of the operator and moved over the cutting edge to be sharpened or resharpened.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 104,940, filed Jan. 8, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,933.

FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to portable Sharpeners.

PRIOR ART Typically, blades of jack knives, hunting knives, arrow broadheads, and the like, are sharpened or resharpened in the field bybeing held in one hand while a sharpening tool, such as, a stone or file, held in the other hand is moved over the cutting edge. Because of the difficulty of maintaining the proper relationship between the blade being sharpened and the tool the re sults are usually not entirely satisfactory and often very unsatisfactory.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention provides a novel portable sharpener simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and comprising a member having a clamp ele ment associated therewith for detachably securing thereto a blade of an article, a cutting edge of which is to be sharpened and a guide for a cooperating sharpening tool. The sharpener can be conveniently held in one hand while the sharpening instrument or tool held in the other hand is moved over the cutting edge to be sharpened or resharpened with minimum risk to the operator. The sharpening tool is positioned with respect to the cutting edge being sharpened by the guide of the sharpener. I

The invention further provides a novel portable sharpener for knives, arrow broadheads and the like which can be readily disassembled and is otherwise so constructed that it can be conveniently carried by a person for field use.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of two preferred embodiments thereof described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention illustrating its use in the sharpen ing of a double-blade steel arrow broadhead;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sharpener shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the sharpener shown in FIG. 2 looking from the right;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the sharpener shown in FIG. 3, looking from the left;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the sharpening tool or instrumentality shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the invention illustrating how the sharpener may be used for the sharpening of the cutting edge of a hunting knife;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, but of the sharpener shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the sharpening tool or instrumentality shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The sharpener shown in FIGS. l to 5 of the drawings comprises a holder or clamp assembly, designated generally by the reference character A, adapted to be held in one hand by an operative in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, while a sharpening tool or instrumentality, designated generally by the reference character B, adapted to be held in the other hand is moved over the cutting edge of a blade to be sharpened which in the illustration, FIG. 1, is a blade of a double-bladed steel arrow broadhead C of an arrow D. The path of the tool relative to the cutting edge being sharpened is in part determined by a guide member of the sharpener for the far end of the tool B, as viewed in FIG. 1.

The blade holder A, comprises a plate-like base member 10 having a planar near :side 12, a portion of which adjacent to one edge constitutes the fixed jaw of the clamp assembly. A second plate-like member 20 movably connected to the member 10, as by the screw 22 threaded into a tapped aperture in the member 10, acts as a clamp member and has a planar surface 24 a portion of which adjacent one edge forms the movable jaw of the clamp assembly or blade holder. While the members 10, 20 are shown as rectangularly shaped plate-like members they may have any shape suitable for clamping a blade of an article to be sharpened and to be held in one hand of an operative. The member 10 is provided with a flange 34 along one side which pro vides a ledge or abutment surface 36 for one edge of the member 20 to limit rotation of the member 20 about the screw 22. Any suitable alternative construction may be employed, such as, a pin offset from the screw 22 and fixed to one of the members 10, 20 and projecting into an aperture in the other member.

In addition to the parts previously referred to, the sharpener or holder A includes two members 40, 42 pivotally connected to the far end of the member 10, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, by a screw 44 threaded into a suitable tapped aperture in the member 10 for movement in planes at right angles to the plane of the planar clamp surface of the member 10. The members 40, 42 are provided with tool guiding apertures 46, 48,

respectively, in their free ends for the reception of a cylindrical end portion 50 of the: tool B. When the holder is in use the members 40, 42 are rotated to a position extending transversely of the members 10, 20, that is, to the approximate position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. The width of the members 40, 42 is preferably about that of the thickness of the end of the member 10 to which they are attached and when the sharpener is not in use the members 40, 42 may be folded or pivoted into alignment with the member 10.

The tool B comprises a three-cornered file 52 having an internally threaded ferrule 54 fixedly secured to the one end thereof and into which a threaded extension 56 on the one end of the cylindrical member 50, previously referred to, is adapted to be screwed for detachably connecting the members 50, .52. The end of the file 52 opposite the cylinder extension 50has a conventional hand grasp 60 fixedly secured thereto. The free end of the hand grasp 60 is preferably provided with a screwdriver-like blade 62 which can be conveniently used for rotating the screw 22in the arrowhead holder.

When a cutting edge of a knife or like blade is to be sharpened the blade is positioned and clamped between the clamp surfaces 12, 24 of the members 10, 20. In the case of an arrow broadhead, one of the blades thereof other than the blade the edge of which is to be sharpened is clamped between the members 10, 20, with the shaft of the arrow extending towards the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, and the point of the broadhead, preferably at or adjacent to one side edge of the holder. The members 40, 42 are rotated to locate the guide holes 46, 48 therein predetermined from the planes of the clamp surfaces 12, 24 of the clamp members. After the article or blade of which is to be sharpened is properly and securely clamped between the members 10, 20 and with the members 40, 42 in the desired position, the cylindrical extension 50 of the tool B is inserted in one of the guide apertures 46, 48 and the working surface of the tool is moved over the cutting edge to be sharpened. The non-adjacent sides of the members 10, 20, may be beveled as at 64, 66, along the edges 67, 68, respectively, to assure adequate clearance for the sharpening tool.

The member 20 is provided with a clamp member spacing projection 70 on the side thereof adjacent to the member and at a location spaced from the screw 22 towards the abutment surface 36. The height of the projection 70 is approximately the thickness of a knife or arrow blade. The thickness of an arrow blade is typically about 0.044 inches and that of a knife blade slightly more. The height of the projection 70 is preferably such that when a blade is clamped between the surfaces 12, 24, they are parallel or essentially parallel with one another. If the members 40, 42 are positioned so that the tool guiding holes therein are symmetrical with respect to a right trihedron, that is, three planes at right angles to one another, one of which is parallel to the surface 12 of the member 10 but offset toward the member half the thickness of the clamped blade and another in the plane of the adjoining sides of the members 40, 42, duplicate bevels can be readily obtained at opposite sides of the cutting edge being sharpened. The third plane of the right trihedron may be the plane of one of the sides 72, 74 of the member 10 or a plane parallel therewith.

It will be obvious that the projection 70 for spacing the clamp members may be on either member 10, 20 and that one of the members 40, 42 could be omitted and as opposite sides of the cutting edge are sharpened the retained member could be pivoted so as to project first to one side of the clamp members and then to the other. In practice, however, it has been found more convenient to have both members available as it is customary to repeatedly shift the sharpening tool back and forth from one side of a blade to the other side during sharpening. If desired, the article to be sharpened can be clamped at either of the sides 72, 74 of the holder rather than at the side shown. When not in use the members 40, 42 can be pivoted to positions in alignment with the clamp member 10, and the sharpening tool B disassembled. In this condition the sharpener can be conveniently carried in a jacket pocket.

The sharpener A shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is similar to the sharpener A shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters as those employed in FIGS. 1 to 4 with a prime mark affixed thereto. The base and clamp members 10', 20' of the sharpener shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are similar to the base and clamp members 10, 20 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 except that their sides or edges 67', 68' farthest from the members 40', 42' have recesses or apertures 80, 82 therein, respectively, facing one another and extending their entire lengths. The opposed sides of the recesses 80, 82 are inclined, diverging from one another with respect to the surfaces 12', 24 in the direction away from the edges 67', 68, at an angle which corresponds to about one-half of the included angle of a blade of a knife, such as, the blade 84 of the knife F shown, which included angle is typically about 3. In other words, the surfaces of the recesses 80, 82 facing one another are inclined rearwardly of the edges 67', 68' approximately one and one-half degree to the plane of the surfaces 12', 24, respectively. The recesses or grooves 80, 82 are relatively narrow in the direction normal to the length of the edges 67, 68' of the members 10, 20 so that the holder can readily be employed to hold between the surfaces 12', 24 a blade which does not have a taper, such as, a blade of an arrow, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The recesses, however, are of sufficient width to securely hold a knife blade. The inclination of the surfaces of the recesses 80, 82 assures that the midplane of a knife blade clamped therebetween is parallel with or essentially parallel with the surfaces 12', 24. If desired, more than one tool receiving guide aperture 46 and/or 48 can be provided in the members 40', 42, respectively, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The manner of movably connecting the clamp member 20 to the base member 10 employed in the sharpener A is different from that employed in connecting the clamp member 20 to the base member 10 of the sharpener A. The difference, however, is not material to the present invention and the construction employed in sharpener A could be employed in sharpener A. In like manner, the construction employed in sharpener A could be substituted for that employed in sharpener A. In sharpener A a screw 90, which is of the thumb screw-type with a knurled head 92, is threaded into a tapped aperture 94 in the clamp member 20 between the screw 22' and the edge or end of the clamp member 20 opposite the end or edge 68 thereof. The end of the screw 90 opposite the head 92 engages against the surface 12' of the base member 10' and is effective to pivot the clamp member 20' about the screw 22. It is noted that there is no projection on the member 10' similar to the projection of sharpener A. The use of the clamp screw provides an improved clamping action over the construction employed in sharpener A since the clamp screw 90 produces a greater mechanical advantage than the screw 22.

The sharpening tool F shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 comprises an elongated rectangular support or base member and a tool guide rod 102. Different sharpening instrumentalities such as the honing stone assembly 104, illustrated, comprising a stone proper 106 connected to a carrier member 108, can be detachably connected by means of nuts 110, 112 threaded on screws 114, 116 having their heads embedded in the member 108 and their threaded shanks extending through suitable apertures in the support member 100. Any suitable sharpening instrumentality may be substituted for the honing stone assembly shown.

One end of the support member 100 of the sharpening tool F extends beyond the honing stone assembly 104 and has an aperture 120 therethrough in which a short section 122 of the guide rod 102 is movably positioned. The elongated section 124 of the guide rod 102 which is at right angles to the short section 122 is adapted to be received in one of the apertures 46, 48 to guide or assist in guiding the tool during the sharpening operation.

The section 122 of the rod 102 is releasably secured in the member 100 by a thumb screw 130, threaded into a tapped aperture 132 in the end of the member 100 adjacent to the aperture 120. The aperture 132 opens into the aperture 120 and the construction is such that the screw 130 can be loosened and the guide rod 102 rotated in the aperture 120 so that the section 124 extends at one side of the support member 100 to facilitate the sharpener being carried in a coat or like pocket when not in use.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, it will be apparent that the objects of the invention heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished and that there has been provided a novel and improved sharpener for small portable articles such as knives, arrows and the like, which can be conveniently carried by sportsmen, etc., and used in the field to produce any desired bevel on the cutting edge of an arrow, knife or like blade.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular constructions shown, and that it is the intention to hereby cover all adaptations, modifications and uses thereof which come within the practice of those skilled in the art to which the invention relates and the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a plate-like member connected to said first clamp for pivotal movement in a plane generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one linear edge and having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.

2. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first pla nar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a pair of plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one linear edge about a common axis and each having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.

3. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, two plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one lin' ear edge about a common axis offset from said first surface towards said second surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the blade and each having a tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced equally from their pivotal connection with said first clamp member, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.

4. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder tobe held in one hand'by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface with at least one linear edge opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, a plate-like member connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in a plane at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said linear edges and having at least one tool receivng aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, shallow narrow grooves in said first and second planar surfaces at said one edges thereof remote from said plate-like member, said grooves opening into said one edges of said clamp members and having planar surfaces facing one another, and diverging from one another in the direction away from said edges, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.

5. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first p1anar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface with at least one linear edge opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, two plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said linear edges about a common axis and each having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced equally from their pivotal connection with said first clamp member, shallow narrow grooves in said first and second planar surfaces at said one edges thereof remote from said plate-like members, said grooves opening into said one edges of said clamp members and having planar surfaces facing one another and diverging from one another in the direction away from said edges, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween. =0: 1:

Disclaimer 3,819,170.Howard Ray Longbrake, Grafton, Ohio. PORTABLE SHARPEN- ER. Patent dated June 25, 1974. Disclaimer filed Nov. 18, 1981, by the inventor.

Hereby enters this disclaim ert o claim 1 of said patent.

[Official Gaz ette March 2, 1982.] 

1. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a plate-like member connected to said first clamp for pivotal movement in a plane generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one linear edge and having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.
 2. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a pair of plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one linear edge about a common axis and each having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.
 3. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, two plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes generally at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said one linear edge about a common axis offset from said first surface towards said second surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the blade and each having a tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced equally from their pivotal connection with said first clamp member, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.
 4. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface with at least one linear edge opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, a plate-like member connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in a plane at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said linear edges and having at least one tool receivng aperture therethrough spaced from its pivotal connection with said first clamp member, shallow narrow grooves in said first and second planar surfaces at said one edges thereof remote from said plate-like member, saiD grooves opening into said one edges of said clamp members and having planar surfaces facing one another, and diverging from one another in the direction away from said edges, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween.
 5. In a portable apparatus for use in the sharpening of a blade of a hunting or like knife, arrow broadheads, etc., a holder to be held in one hand by an operative and comprising a first clamp member having a first planar surface with at least one linear edge adapted for engaging one side of a blade having a cutting edge, a second clamp member having a second planar surface with at least one linear edge opposed to said first surface of said first clamp member adapted for engaging the other side of the blade, two plate-like members connected to said first clamp member for pivotal movement in planes at right angles to said first surface and parallel with said linear edges about a common axis and each having at least one tool receiving aperture therethrough spaced equally from their pivotal connection with said first clamp member, shallow narrow grooves in said first and second planar surfaces at said one edges thereof remote from said plate-like members, said grooves opening into said one edges of said clamp members and having planar surfaces facing one another and diverging from one another in the direction away from said edges, and means for moving said clamp members toward one another to clamp the blade therebetween. 